“We can’t do everything,” Sylvia said. “These contractors simply won’t be able to deliver on time.”
Luke frowned. “Harvey warned us about this. If it’s money —” His office was big and full of sunshine. Whiteboards everywhere. Formulae everywhere. Papers everywhere, even on the stands of the fake tree ferns. The scent was plastic and paper, old dust and faint ammonia. It smelled as if Luke had lived in it forever, put down institutional roots. He had not. Luke had moved to Melbourne three years before, specifically for this project.
“Not money.” Dr Sylvia Smith’s voice was firm, despite its softness. “There were problems with the orders, with follow-through when personnel dropped out. And the contractors, as I said. The ones dealing with the scientific databases. All of them. Every single
